Leafs face road-tested Thrashers tonight at the ACC

Maple Leafs goaltender Jonas Gustavsson acknowledged this morning he was scared last week when his heart troubles resurfaced during a game in Montreal.

"Of course," Gustavsson said in his first public comments since being forced out of the lineup. "It's not something you want. You want to be out there playing with the guys. They told me it was an easy procedure and everything went fine.

"I wouldn't say (I am) worried. Doctors were happy with the result and they said they can't guarantee anything, but they think it should be gone now. I can't think about it if it happens again. I have to trust them."

On Friday, Gustavsson underwent his second heart procedure in less than three months when he had a heart ablation at a Toronto hospital. The procedure is done to correct abnormal heart rhythms. Gustavsson's heart began racing during the game against the Canadiens last Tuesday, and he had to leave after the first period.

Gustavsson is not sure when he will return to the Leafs lineup, but coach Ron Wilson said he expects the 25-year-old to begin skating in the next couple of days.

Vesa Toskala in goal will start tonight at the Air Canada Centre against the Atlanta Thrashers. Defenceman Garnet Exelby, a healthy scratch in 11 of the past 15 games, will dress. Jeff Finger will be a healthy scratch.

Former Leafs Nik Antropov and Pavel Kubina will make their returns to the ACC with the Thrashers, who are one of the top road clubs in the National Hockey League. The Thrashers, coached by former Leaf John Anderson, are 9-2-1 on the road, something that might not dovetail well with the Leafs' league-worst home mark of 2-7-3.

"You're playing against a team," Leafs coach Ron Wilson said. "It's not about the individuals. Those guys are going to be motivated.

"I hope we don't have a 20-minute ceremony before their first power play to pump them up.

"We won't make the playoffs unless we do better at home."

Antropov and Kubina became Leafs in opposite ways - Antropov was the Leafs' 10th pick overall in 1998 and Kubina plucked off the free-agent heap in the summer of 2006 - but neither could help Toronto win in the playoffs.

Kubina didn't play in one post-season game in three years as a Leaf, simply because there weren't any.

"Even though we did not make the playoffs, I still have great memories about the team and my teammates here," Kubina said. "It was the first time I got traded and you just have to move on."

Said Antropov, who had not been in the visitors' dressing room at the ACC until this morning: "I'm trying not to get too over-excited right now. When game time comes, it will be something special for sure."